Kennesaw is a suburban city located in Cobb County, Georgia, within the greater Atlanta metropolitan area of the United States. Originally settled in the 1830s as Big Shanty, the municipality was officially chartered as Kennesaw in 1887. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 33,036, representing a 10.9% increase from the previous decade.
The city holds historical significance in railroad history and served as the staging ground for the Great Locomotive Chase on April 12, 1862, during the Civil War. Kennesaw is also home to Kennesaw State University, which serves as an R2 research institution and the third-largest public university in the state of Georgia.